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PATRIOTS’ DAY?
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 “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel,” said Samuel Johnson, the great English satirist of the 18th century.
“Patriotism is the last
refuge of a scoundrel,” said
Samuel Johnson, the great
English satirist of the 18th century.
One is reminded of this
saying on reading the report
that the Communist parties
have written to Prime Minister,
demanding that 23 January,
the birth anniversary of Netaji
Subhas Chandra Bose, should be celebrated as ‘Desh Prem
Diwas’ (Patriots’ Day). “Netaji is hailed by the people as a
leader with unparalleled patriotism,” says the letter. The
signatories of the letter include Prakash Karat of the
CPI(M) and A.B.Bardhan of the CPI, with other left leaders.
Nor doubt, the people, the Forward Bloc and the RSP
consider Netaji as a leader with unparallel patriotism. But
what about the Indian Communist Party that split later into
the CPI and CPM? During World War II (1939-45), when
Bose went out of India to organise the Indian National
Army, the Communist Party called him “the running dog of
facism” at the order of the Russian Communist Party. This
was because Bose had sought the help of Germany and
Japan, that were fighting against Russia and Britain.
Communists spied on Congressmen and other freedomfighters,
who had gone underground to carry on their agitation.
This is the record of the patriotism of Communists,
to whom Soviet Union and its megalomaniac Joseph Stalin
came first and India was second, if not last, after all the
Communist countries of the world, including China.
Talking about China, when that country attacked India
in 1962, the Indian Communist Party supported the
enemy. Later, the party split into CPM and CPI. Even after
the Soviet Union disintegrated and the Communist countries
turned to democracy and capitalism, Indian communists
continued with their nostalgia for Stalinist Russia.
The letter of the leaders of the Leftist parties to the
Prime Minister says, “In these days, when the spirit of
patriotism seems lacking among our countrymen, owing to
frustration because of the poor economic conditions of the
common man, it is necessary to give a call to the people on
the historic birthday of Netaji, to revive such a spirit.”
Well said! But before that, the writers of the letter should
confess their sin of calling Netaji names and undo the historic
wrong they committed against him. Otherwise, their
words will sound like Satan quoting the scriptures.
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